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May-19-2011 03:47printcomments

The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation President Takes Plea Deal for Tax Arrest

After years of ongoing audits and red tape, Paul Stanford can focus on business.

D Paul Stanford
D Paul Stanford, THCF Executive Director

(SALEM, Ore.) - With a headline designed to wow the citizens of Oregon, the state’s Attorney General John Kroger announced the “President of the Hemp and Cannabis Foundation Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion” on Wednesday.

That sounds pretty impressive, until the rest of the statement is revealed: Guilty of a Misdemeanor.

The facts are that 50-year old Paul Stanford pleaded guilty Wednesday in Marion County Circuit Court to one count of Oregon Personal Income Tax Evasion; he was sentenced to 18 months of bench probation and 160 hours of community service, and he must pay $202 in court fees.

“This conviction doesn’t prove legitimacy of the case,” Stanford said.

“I was offered a plea, and I told them I would accept the misdemeanor. I was looking at two felonies, which is very serious, and you lose rights if found guilty.

“So rather than force employees to go through the stress of interviews and court testimony, and undertake a multi-year experience that would cost up to 100,000 dollars to defend, I took the plea.

“I do think this action was specifically intended to distract and discredit the cause (to legalize hemp and cannabis), but it was very ineffective.”

The Oregon Attorney General’s office sent out a news release shortly after the court was dismissed. “This must be one of the only times in history that a misdemeanor conviction had a press release distributed to the media,” Stanford said.

Paul Stanford responded to the release via a letter to the prosecuting attorneys:

“I trust your assurances that this concludes our case. I was, however, dismayed that within minutes of leaving the courtroom yesterday, I started getting phone calls about your office's press release. I didn't know I was that important.

“Please let your supervisors know that I think their pandering to the press hurts Kroger and the office of Oregon Attorney General more than it hurts me or the movement to restore hemp & cannabis. It is clear to most that this prosecution was unnecessary, petty and politically motivated. Publicizing it really just gives us more exposure and recognition, and makes the AG's office look bad, in my humble opinion.“

Stanford is pretty important, actually. And he has gotten more used to all the attention than he would like.

“I’ve been under a constant state of audit since 2004. We have been communicating right along, and they knew I was going to file those two years of personal taxes. They knew why they hadn’t been filed. And they told me that even if I filed and paid my taxes, they were still going forward with charges.”

And so they did.

D. Paul Stanford is the president of The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation (THCF), a Portland-based organization founded as a nonprofit in 1999.

The fact that the group of medical clinics “has grown dramatically” was notable to the Attorney General, presented as a negative, as if helping people and expanding into new areas was somehow a bad thing. This may be due to leftover Reefer Madness, collectively contagious and spread easily through fear-driven family and friends.

“They should give me an award,” Stanford laughs. “For employing 100 people and providing healthcare to my employees –instead of punishing me.”

Since the passing of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act that was enacted in 1999, nearly 50,000 Oregonians have become legal, medical marijuana card-carrying permit holders. Over 3,000 doctors have signed permit applications in just our state. Fourteen states have legalized medicinal marijuana and THCF have clinics in over half of them. That is a lot of American jobs.

It seems natural that a business founded on patients’ access to legal medical use of marijuana (cannabis) would be expected to trend upward year over year as the program becomes more well known, and accepted by the general populous. The emerging cannabis industry, medicinal and otherwise, has proven to be on track for a bright economic future.

REPORTING TO THE MAN

The Attorney General’s office said that THCF had long periods of delinquency in which it failed to comply with state and federal reporting requirements, whereas charitable organizations must file periodic financial reports with the Charitable Activities Section of the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.

The Charitable Activities Section reported THCF to the Internal Revenue Service, and the IRS revoked the organization’s status as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity in 2010.

Then they notified the Criminal Justice Division that Paul Stanford had failed to pay personal income taxes for the years 2008-9.

"Paying taxes is not optional,” said Attorney John General Kroger in a press release.

Hence, Stanford’s arrest in March to be prosecuted on personal income tax charges- or “Tax Evasion” by Senior Assistant Attorneys General Jennifer Gardiner and Shannon Kmetic.

“I run several businesses, I’m trying to legalize cannabis, save the world, and bring back the industrial hemp industry,” Stanford proclaimed. “You have to choose your battles, and this one is behind me.”

He said that he was assured that this ends the criminal investigation, and he is relieved to have the ordeal finally settled.

“The dogs have been called off,” Stanford said. “Now it’s time to get back to business.”

He wrote (to Ms Gardiner and Ms Kmetic):

“Cannabis prohibition was instituted based upon a racist misinformation campaign to benefit narrow economic and political interests. Cannabis produces, per land area cultivated, more fiber, food, fuel (biodeisel & ethanol) and medicine than any other plant. It makes more of all of these categories of produce than any other plant or plants.

“Cannabis is clearly safer than alcohol or tobacco. The human neurostransmitters and neuromodulators that cannabis produces have both beneficial effects and spiritual significance. Prohibiting the most productive source of fuel, food, fiber and medicine is evil.

“It really is, as my friend Gatewood Galbraith of Kentucky has coined, a battle between the natural and the synthetic cycles for our future. I believe that cannabis restoration will have profoundly beneficial socio-economic effects, and that cannabis prohibition is an issue of social and economic justice. The future of freedom and humanity demands your support, not your opposition.”

Ironically, Stanford spoke before the American Bar Association last week.

The only “non-lawyer” presenter in front of 100 attorneys May 12th, program faculty Stanford outlined the legal ramifications of legalizing marijuana. “The other panelist gave great presentations on medical marijuana zoning issues. Mine was broader,” Stanford said.

The program will be played back as a Webinar on Thursday, May 19th. 1000 people have confirmed, and will earn 1.5 hours of credit. After the ABA webinar, Stanford and the other panelists will take online questions live.

Stanford cordially invited the two Prosecuting attorneys to attend the Webinar.

“I like the ABA slogan, ‘Defending Liberty. Pursuing Justice.’ That is my job too,” Stanford said, with a smile.

_________________________________

Publisher Bonnie King has been with Salem-News.com since August '04. Bonnie has a wide ranging media background and in her career she has served in a number of positions in the broadcast industry; TV Production Manager at KVWB (Las Vegas WB) and Producer/Director for the TV series "Hot Wheels in Las Vegas", TV Promotion Director for KYMA (NBC), and KFBT (Ind.), Asst. Marketing Director (SUPERSHOPPER MAGAZINE), Director/Co-Host (Coast Entertainment Show), Radio Promotion Director (KBCH/KCRF), and NIE/Circulation Sales Manager (STATESMAN JOURNAL NEWSPAPER). Bonnie has a depth of understanding that reaches further than just behind the scenes, and that thoroughness is demonstrated in the perseverance to correctly present each story with the wit and wisdom necessary to compel and captivate viewers.

View articles written by Bonnie King

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Brandt Hardin May 20, 2011 4:46 pm (Pacific time)

I feel this would be a step in the right direction toward making Pot work to help our damaged economies. Marijuana is the safest drug with actual benefits for the user as opposed to alcohol which is dangerous, causes addiction, birth defects, and affects literally every organ in the body. Groups are organizing all over the country to speak their minds on reforming pot laws. I drew up a very cool poster for the cause which you can check out on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/vote-teapot-2011.html Drop in and let me know what you think!


Ma Kettle May 20, 2011 9:08 am (Pacific time)

I hope he can file harassment against the state for all this. It seems like they are trying to keep him too busy for the cannabis movement. Foiled again! Justice raised its tiny little head. Now leave him alone!

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